A baby's first tooth, words, and steps are all monumental moments in a baby's life. But it starts even earlier; an embryo also has important moments, which are often discussed in conversations surrounding abortion. Knowing the science and timeline of these developments is integral to having informed dialogue about abortion. Some of the most relevant moments of developmental biology are the first heartbeat, first brainwaves, and the point of viability. Abortion is wrong because it violates human dignity since an embryo is a human being who is alive. This can be reasoned following two trains of thought— first the scientific and second the logical. The scientific explanation is that an embryo is alive due to how it has all the nine characteristics of life. According to the biology curriculum at Brebeuf, these include DNA, organization, growth, stimulus-response, reproduction, energy, adaptation, cells, and homeostasis (otherwise known as DOGS REACH). The logical explanation is that an embryo is alive since it is growing. This may sound simple, but it is true that something that is dead does not grow and develop. For some pro-choice people certain points during fetal development are important when considering when abortion should and should not be allowed. Some argue that before an embryo’s first heartbeat, which is only six-and-a-half weeks into the first trimester, it is permissible to abort it. Another argument says that an embryo is not a person until it shows cognitive ability, or brain activity, at six weeks. Finally, some pro-choice people will argue that an embryo can be aborted before the point of viability at twenty-four weeks (during second trimester)— a point that was emphasized in Roe v. Wade. Since a baby cannot live outside the womb before this point, it is seen as the mother’s choice what she should be able to do with what is in her body. Just six-and-a-half weeks after conception, the embryo has its first heartbeat. Although it is true that abortions are wrong at this point, it is not because of the heartbeat, but rather because of the scientific fact that they are already living human beings. Another moment in an embryo’s development is the first sign of brain activity. Like the heartbeat, this is not what makes a person considered alive. It is also not what makes someone considered a person. Since a person is a member of a rational kind, even an embryo is a person— as a living human being, it has human dignity. Lastly, viability is when the baby can live outside the womb. The argument that a woman should have bodily autonomy before this moment is invalid because the point of viability is relative to circumstance. An embryo is not less of a person when it is in an old hospital and doesn’t have the new instruments that can help a premature baby live— circumstances which could change the point of viability. Also, a person shouldn’t have less value due to their level of dependence. A toddler that cannot take care of itself is not worth less than an adult. Heartbeat, brain activity, and viability are some of the most important moments in embryonic and fetal development. Knowing these moments allows people who are pro-life and pro-choice to have greater dialogue with one another by understanding the developmental biology behind the discussion. Erik EigenbrodErik has been a co-president of Brebeuf's Right to Life Club since his sophomore year. There, he helps formulate arguments and does in-depth research on the philosophical ideas that are used in pro-life arguments.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |